By Tony Adibe
The National Leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Saturday evening suspended the election of the Enugu State Council of the Union.
The suspension of the election followed a heated disagreement among the 5-man members of the credentials committee headed by a veteran journalist, Mr. Sebastian Okafor of the Daily Star Chapel.
NewsBits learnt that while some members of the credentials committee insisted that election would not hold until they were shown the receipts of the delegates Practising fees as wells as the Professional fees, the others maintained that the delegate lists from the national Secretariat should be used for the election.
When the South East Zonal leadership of the Union led by Comrade Eze Adiukwu observed the seriousness of the disagreement, they suspended the election and set up the Caretaker Committee.
Also, the Comrade Sam Udekwe-led exco was dissolved while a 5-man caretaker committee was set up. Comrade Agatha Agu of Radio Nigeria was appointed the Caretaker Committee Chairman while Comrade Jude Chinedu of the Daily Sun Newspaper will serve as the secretary.
The Caretaker Committee members have up to three months to constitute another credentials committee that would conduct a free and fair election, according to the southeast zonal leadership of NUJ.
Before the suspension of the election, there existed two factions. One faction backed the immediate past chairman of the Council, Comrade Sam Udekwe’s second term bid. The other supported Comrade Obinna Ogbuka of Radio Nigeria Chapel, who is contesting for the post of Chairman, thereby challenging Udekwe.
However, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Comrade Agatha Agu promised to ensure that in no distant time they would conduct a credible, transparent, free and fair election. She urged the members of the Union to come together and unite for the progress of the Council.
